EMI BUENDIA is Arsenal’s top transfer target this summer, according to reports.
While Dennis Bergkamp has told Arsenal fans Daniel Ek is STILL interested in buying the club off Stan Kroenke.
Elsewhere, the Gunners will have a better chance of signing Eduardo Camavinga than any other club if they make a serious bid, according to reports.
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FLOR BLIMEY
Arsenal youngster Marcelo Flores was handed the opportunity to train with the first team this week.
The 17-year-old has made quite the splash for the club’s Under-18s since joining them from Ipswich in March 2019.
Flores has made a total of 21 appearances for the junior side, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
He penned a new Gunners deal in October and has since been promoted to the U23s.
WHERE THERE’S A WIL
Wilfried Zaha has insisted again he would leave Crystal Palace for a ‘top’ club after reports of interest from Tottenham and Arsenal.
He told The Face: “I feel like I can have another shot at the top teams, because my dream is to win things.
“I’m good enough to go out there and compete with the best.
“If the opportunity came, I wouldn’t turn it down, because I feel like I deserve it. It’s so I can show my kids: ‘This is what daddy won’.”
ARTETA ON IMPRESSIVE FORM
Mikel Arteta spoke about Arsenal’s impressive second half to the Premier League season in his pre-match press conference yesterday.
The Gunners sit second in the form table over the last 23 league matches.
Speaking about his side’s recent record, Arteta said: “Yes, it is very good but the league is played over 38 games.
“But at least it shows that we are able to do it and when we have a little bit more of a normal context, more normal situations, I am very positive about what we can do, but at the end of the day wee are judged on what we have done over the whole season and it is not, for sure, where we want to be.”
Credit: Getty
GUNNING FOR SUCCESS
Here is a surprising table. Over the second half of the Premier League season, Arsenal sit second in the table.
The only team to have picked up more points in the league since then is champions Manchester City.
CRYSTAL PALACE 1-3 ARSENAL
This was some goal from Arsenal as they scored twice in stoppage time to beat Crystal Palace 3-1 on Wednesday evening.
ARTETA ON EUROS SUPPORT
Mikel Arteta has revealed he will have both Spain and England flags in his house for the European Championships.
He said: “I would have both! And as well, I’ll be supporting a lot of the players that we have, who will be representing their countries and we want the best for them.”
Credit: Getty OH MY SHKOD
Schalke have announced that Shkodran Mustafi will be released at the end of the season after just three months spent with the German side.
The Arsenal flop only joined the Bundesliga outfit in February after having his contract terminated by the Gunners.
And having failed to make an impression during his short spell at the Veltins-Arena, the 29-year-old defender will be on the lookout for a new club in the summer.
Mustafi only agreed a deal until the end of the campaign when he linked up with Schalke, and following their relegation, the club have revealed he will not be offered a new contract.
The centre-back has featured in 12 Bundesliga fixtures, with the club losing eight games in which he has played and have conceded a whopping 30 goals.
ROYAL RUMBLE
Arsenal and Everton are interested in Barcelona right-back Emerson Royal, according to reports.
The Brazilian has spent the last two seasons on loan at Real Betis, as he looks to establish himself in LaLiga.
Emerson, 22, hopes to impress parent club Barca during pre-season, aiming to become their first choice right-back next term
But should he look likely to have to play understudy to Sergino Dest, the former Atletico Mineiro starlet will look elsewhere.
According to Sport, Emerson wouldn’t be short of suitors, with Villarreal and AC Milan both keen.
But they reckon that the player himself prefers the idea of moving to England.
Arsenal are a particularly good fit, especially if Hector Bellerin completes a rumoured move to Paris Saint-Germain.
ARTETA ON THE EUROPEAN CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Mikel Arteta has spoken about the European Conference League, a competition Arsenal could end up in if they finish seventh in the Premier League.
He said: “We have experienced in the last few years how tough being in the Europa League is with the amount of games you play and the short turnaround that you have all the time in the Premier League.
“I think there is a lot of history there with teams that have been involved in the Europa League, and the negative consequences that has in the Premier League positions.
“But we’ve tried to give it the best possible go, we came a little bit short, but this club has to be in Europe.”
Credit: AP
AGUERO WAS AN ABSOLUTE JOY – ARTETA
Mikel Arteta has praised Sergio Aguero ahead of his departure from Manchester City at the end of the season.
The Gunners manager was assistant to Pep Guardiola for three years at Manchester City.
Speaking about Aguero, who is set to join Barcelona, he said: “It was an absolute joy to work with him. His character, his personality, he’s a loveable man and then one of the best talents that I’ve seen.
“What he’s done in this league for so long, scoring the amount of goals that he’s done.
“I think he was a player that contributed to change the perception of English football in different countries.
“What he’s done for Manchester City, I think he was a big contributor of changing the history, the mentality and the winning years that they had after that.”
Credit: PA:Press Association TRAINING DAY
Arsenal youngster Marcelo Flores was handed the opportunity to train with the first team this week.
The 17-year-old has made quite the splash for the club’s Under-18s since joining them from Ipswich in March 2019.
Flores has made a total of 21 appearances for the junior side, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
The teenager’s displays saw him rewarded with a starting berth in the Under-23s’ clash with Crawley Town last October.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has seemingly been impressed by what he’s seen of the youngster, inviting him to get a week’s worth of training in with the club’s star players.
Flores penned a professional contract with Arsenal last October.
ARTETA SUMS UP SEASON
Mikel Arteta has given his thoughts on Arsenal’s disappointing 2020-21 campaign ahead of their final Premier League game of the season against Brighton on Sunday.
He said: “Well if you are saying it’s a step back because we haven’t won a title, then it has to be related.
“In the league we have two more points than last season, but it’s nowhere near where we want to be.
“The fact that we don’t have a title so close to grab because we’re not in the Europa League final makes it difficult to see more positives.
“But we were knocked out in the last-16 of the Europa League last season and a lot of things have been done that were very necessary in this season that are not related to results. But at the end of the day, we are here to win.”
Credit: Getty ARSENAL’S BEST FOREIGN XI
We’ve done a mock up of what we believe Arsenal’s best ever foreign XI is.
Have we missed anyone out?
SELHURST SCENES
Little bit of footage from Arsenal at Selhurst Park on Wednesday evening.
It was Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson’s final home game as manager of the club.
But the Gunners ensured it was not a winning goodbye as they struck late to win 3-1 and keep their hopes of European football next season alive.
STARTING GUNNERS
Here is how Arsenal could line-up against Brighton tomorrow afternoon:
BUENDIA TALK
Arsenal are reportedly set to reignite their interest in Emiliano Buendia if Martin Odegaard returns to Real Madrid.
The Norwegian playmaker is on loan from Los Blancos and a string of impressive displays has led Mikel Arteta to seek an extension – or even a permanent deal.
Real are said to want Odegaard, 22, back in the summer although the future of coach Zinedine Zidane may be a factor in that decision.
According to Goal, Arsenal are planning to bid for Buendia or Real Betis star Nabil Fekir if he moves on.
Buendia, 24, won the Championship’s and Norwich’s Player of the Season award having led the Canaries to promotion.
SEVEN N’ HELL
The team which qualifies for the Europa Conference League faces a nightmare start to the season because of the need to win a play-off round to enter the competition.
Tottenham, Everton and Arsenal are all fighting to seal a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League on the final day – with West Ham needing just a point to clinch sixth.
The reward for the side who come seventh is a spot in Uefa’s new third division tournament – meaning two extra games in the first fortnight of the new campaign.
For the English side in the competition enters in the final play-off stage, with the first leg of that on August 19.
That is the Thursday after the opening weekend of the 2021-22 Premier League season, with the second leg the following week.
It means players who face a shortened break and pre-season because of the Euros will then have to come back into a schedule including four games in the first 14 days of the new campaign.
READY FOR BRIGHTON
Arsenal preparing for their final Premier League game of the season against Brighton…
NOT WIL-ING
Mikel Arteta appears to have wrecked Newcastle’s hopes of signing Joe Willock by revealing he is planning to have the star back next season.
He said: “I am really happy that things have gone so well because of the potential that he has.
“I think it was great for him to go away and have a different experience.
“He has grabbed that opportunity in a really positive and remarkable way and he will come back to us, we will have a conversation with him and plan the next years for him.”
ART ATTACK
Mikel Arteta is not getting too excited at the prospect of celebrating St Totteringham’s Day again — as Arsenal are nowhere near where they should be.
If Spurs fail to win at Leicester tomorrow, the Gunners can overtake their bitter local rivals with a final-day home victory over Brighton.
But Arteta said: “We have two more points than last season — but it’s nowhere near where we want to be.
“Every Arsenal supporter should be aiming for us to be winning trophies and, when that is not the case, they are not going to be happy. There cannot be any other ambition at this football club.
“But there is only one winner of the Champions League and one winner of the Premier League and the rest of the teams all failed.
“Finishing second or third is not a big achievement but our supporters know what has been going on here.
“It’s not because of what has happened today, yesterday or last year. We all know where this club used to be, but that is the past and now we need to focus on the future.”
BELLERIN SIDELINED
Mikel Arteta has revealed Hector Bellerin won’t be fit to play in the Gunners’ final match of the season against Brighton.
He said: “Hector is not fit so he won’t be there playing the last game. Like everybody that has a contract he remains here.”
Hector Bellerin won’t play against BrightonCredit: Andy Hooper
‘TRYING TO HURT YOU’
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has claimed his side is in a better place following the departure of several bad influences.
He said: “The best thing has been to keep a team, a staff, employees and everybody together.
“In those circumstances when you are not winning and when there are so many people, some inside and some outside, that are trying to hurt [you].
“And to keep them together and block that and be so strong, I think that is some achievement.
“As normally when that happens [makes a cracking sound], that cracks and everything falls, and it didn’t.”
When asked if the ‘some inside’ were still at the club, the Spaniard replied: “No.”
GOOD MORNING ARSENAL FANS
Mikel Arteta is not getting too excited at the prospect of celebrating St Totteringham’s Day again — as Arsenal are nowhere near where they should be.
If Spurs fail to win at Leicester tomorrow, the Gunners can overtake their bitter local rivals with a final-day home victory over Brighton.
That would be the first time since 2016 that Arsenal have finished the season as top dogs of North London after 22 unbroken years of lording it over the mob from the other end of the Seven Sisters Road.
And the prospect of nicking the last European spot from Spurs would only add to the party atmosphere for Arsenal fans, who have not had a lot to cheer about recently.
Boss Arteta understands the importance of the occasion and said: “Anything that makes our supporters happy and helps us to get to a better position is all positive.”
Mikel Arteta’s first full season in charge of Arsenal has been anything but a successCredit: EPA Yet even if Arsenal do climb above both Spurs and Everton to secure Europa Conference League qualification, it will not be nearly enough for their demanding manager.
He said: “We have two more points than last season — but it’s nowhere near where we want to be.
“Every Arsenal supporter should be aiming for us to be winning trophies and, when that is not the case, they are not going to be happy. There cannot be any other ambition at this football club.
“But there is only one winner of the Champions League and one winner of the Premier League and the rest of the teams all failed.
“Finishing second or third is not a big achievement but our supporters know what has been going on here.
“It’s not because of what has happened today, yesterday or last year. We all know where this club used to be, but that is the past and now we need to focus on the future.”
TIP OF THE ICE-BERG
Dennis Bergkamp says Spotify boss Daniel Ek and the Arsenal legends won’t give up their bid to take over the Gunners.
Current owner Stan Kroenke has rejected an initial £1.8billion bid from Ek, who has support from Bergkamp and fellow Invincibles Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
Bergkamp said: “We can’t force anyone to sell.
“I understand that, in addition to that offer, Daniel has now reached out twice to Josh Kroenke [Arsenal director and Stan’s son] and his bankers.
“Whatever Kroenke’s intentions are, it would be good if we at least have a conversation with each other. In the interests of the club.
“Regardless, Daniel is not a quitter and neither are we football boys. We are here to stay.”
NET WORTH
Arsenal may pursue Barcelona’s second-choice goalkeeper Neto in the summer transfer window.
That is according to a report from Mundo Deportivo, which claims that the Brazilian shot-stopper is set to play his last match for Barca when they visit Eibar on Saturday for the season’s climax.
The 31-year-old, who was targeted by the Gunners last January, will fill in for Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks as the German star is set to undergo knee surgery.
Arsenal are reportedly looking to sell their No1 goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the summer following a series of high-profile mistakes in recent months against the likes of Everton, Wolves, Olympiacos, West Ham and Liverpool.
The same goes for back-up keeper Alex Runarsson, who has failed to impress as Leno’s No2 since his £1million move from Rennes in September.
The Iceland international has struggled to step up in the Europa League and had an absolute nightmare when the north Londoners lost 4-1 to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Based on these reports, manager Mikel Arteta will soon be in dire need of a new goalkeeper after recently selling Emiliano Martinez and Matt Macey to Aston Villa and Hibernian respectively.
Neto, who has only amassed a mere 16 appearances since joining Barcelona from Valencia in a swap deal that included Jasper Cillessen in 2019, is not the only Arsenal target.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
